The meeting is over and I am sure I speak for all of the directors when I say everyone is exhausted and looking forward to getting home. The agendas were robust in all committees and work went well over our planned time schedule.

Minutes will be available soon or visit raefords page for updates.

Had the opportunity to meet some dz.comers Monkey and NWflyer were present at the meeting. Nice to meet you both. Also Jumper jim made a short stop by to say hello. Great to meet everyone.

On another note I am in the beginning stages of planning a full day of jumping with Directors, USPA Staff, and USPA members the Thursday before the next meeting. August 2nd. I think this might be enough time to schedule accordingly. We will be jumping at Twin Citties and the meeting is in Minneapolis.

I see, so they had an opportunity to do something cool to honor long time members who have paid for lifetime memberships many times over and they decided to vote against it.

I would like to know by name who voted against this.

This was one positive thing the board could have done and they blew it. USPA would have still been able to get dues for rating renewals from these members. It is long past time that the members who have helped this sport grow to what it is today to be recognized.

I propose that anyone who has been a USPA member for 25 (or more) years be given lifetime membership. They will still have to pay for pro ratings, instructor ratings, etc.

Tell your regional and national directors you support this and lets get this on the agenda for the summer 2012 meeting.

I see, so they had an opportunity to do something cool to honor long time members who have paid for lifetime memberships many times over and they decided to vote against it.

25 years at $55 a year is $1375, lifetime is currently $1000. I wouldn't consider that paid many times over. (IIRC the renewal fee just went up recently, so it would be a little less than the $1375)

In reply to:

S&T 4. SIM Sections 2-1 J.3 and 2-1 J.5. refer to tandem jumps into level-2 landing areas and stadiums. Due to FAA guidance in the 8900 inspector handbook, these two BSRs do not meet the FAA guidelines, which do not allow for tandem jumps into level-2 landing areas or stadiums.

The irony of this to me, is that the military does what ever the fuck they want, which in some cases is totally reasonable. But seriously, being a member of the military should really make a difference when jumping into a civilian event? The paperwork I get back from the FAA exempts DOD all over the place. So, a DOD TI with 400 skydives is allowed to put a tandem into a stadium because...?

If they're on orders for that event, jumping for their mission, with team gear it's one thing, if they're just going out because they've got a rating and jumping the local dz's gear, that's different.

SL jumps at <1250' are legal for military on haz duty orders and USPA says they're within the BSR's, but does that mean that some civilians should be doing it too?

Apparently there is already a 50% discount on a lifetime membership once you reach 25 years as a member.

When did that go into place? Because I became a lifetime member 3-4 years ago, after 30+ years of membership, and didn't hear anything about a discount.

Wendy P.

Not sure, but since several of the directors expressed surprise at that rule, too, it sounds like it's not well-known and it's possible that the person processing your lifetime membership didn't know. Perhaps you should ask for a refund!

I see, so they had an opportunity to do something cool to honor long time members who have paid for lifetime memberships many times over and they decided to vote against it.

What are the numbers? How many members are there with over 25 years of continuous membership? How much money is that in membership dues? What is the effect of the loss of that on the budget?

There are about 32,000 members. If 1,000 of those are 25-year members, that's a $55,000 per year budget hit - a not insubstantial amount. And it's not a one-time expense, it's every year.

Before I take a position on such a proposal, I need to know the numbers...

Furthermore, it's kind of a welfare mentality. If I'm still jumping and still receiving the magazine (which accounts for a substantial portion of the USPA budget), then I ought to still pay to support the organization which keeps me jumping and informed. I don't look for a free ride just because I've been around a while.

This was the second USPA board meeting that I attended - the first was in February 2008 in Orlando. Some may recall there were some "hot" issues on the agenda for that meeting, to be sure.

I have to say that I came out of this meeting with a stronger, generally more positive impression of the board and the work they do after this meeting. Are there politics? Of course - put more than one person in a room and something's going to get political. Are there personal agendas? I'm sure there are - again, it's hard not to have them. Are the board's decisions sometimes overly-skewed towards the interests of DZOs? Yes, sometimes they are - when there are a number of current and former DZOs on the board, and as long as the group membership program exists, those concerns are going to be there.

BUT ... I am also seeing a shift from the board of just a few years back. There's quite a bit of new blood on the board, and the new energy was definitely noticeable. Between the hallway chats, Friday evening at the bar and Saturday night at the lifetime achievement award reception and afterward, I was able to spend time with several different board members - getting to know them as people, and also talking about some of the issues raised during the meeting. I was pretty quiet in the gallery - only sharing my thoughts a couple of times, but I can tell you that I heard my comments from some of those hallway conversations later reflected in discussions.

Basic impression is - most are listening, and listening thoughtfully. They're not always going to make decisions that I agree with, or that every member agrees with. It's very possible a board member will hear what I have to say, and still disagree. That's okay. They're at least listening.

There were several big topics brought up where the reaction after much heated discussion was "Let's put this back out to the membership before we make a decision," and plans were made to put a poll on the USPA web site, or solicit feedback through the USPA Professional newsletter. The opportunities are there to provide input if people are willing to take them.

It also never requires a poll to provide your thoughts - you can always reach out to your regional director, a national director, or even another regional director. I would actually recommend direct contact with an individual board member over a blast email to the entire board. Think about how you react to mass emails vs. how you react to someone who specifically says "I'm reaching out to you because I value your thoughts on this issue because of [X]." So figure out who's the person (or persons) to talk to about the issue you're passionate about, and reach out to them directly and build a connection.

There were other topics where board members read emails or shared comments that they'd received from the membership. And of course the gallery was always welcome to provide comment. Of course, there weren't that many of us "random members" in the gallery - but if you're there, you *can* be heard.

Anyone who knows me knows that I can be as cynical as the next person about the "political process," so I hope no one thinks I'm trying to say that the USPA Board is all sunshine and rainbows. It's not. They're human (well, I'm not so sure about Stokes - he's clearly part cyborg) and flawed. But it's not an axis of evil hell bent on world domination.

25 years at $55 a year is $1375, lifetime is currently $1000. I wouldn't consider that paid many times over. (IIRC the renewal fee just went up recently, so it would be a little less than the $1375)

Currently it is $1000 but it has been steadily going up over the years. 30 years ago it was only a few hundred bucks so yes if you have been a member for 25-30 years you have paid it many times over, just not at todays rate. Not to mention with rating renewals it is much more than $55. My dues were $100 this year.

There are not that many of us so it would have been a very cool thing to do, we bring new people into the sport and create new members.

I see, so they had an opportunity to do something cool to honor long time members who have paid for lifetime memberships many times over and they decided to vote against it.

I would like to know by name who voted against this.

This was one positive thing the board could have done and they blew it. USPA would have still been able to get dues for rating renewals from these members. It is long past time that the members who have helped this sport grow to what it is today to be recognized.

I propose that anyone who has been a USPA member for 25 (or more) years be given lifetime membership. They will still have to pay for pro ratings, instructor ratings, etc.

Tell your regional and national directors you support this and lets get this on the agenda for the summer 2012 meeting.

Why 25 years? Because you've been a member for 25 years?

Paying annual dues for 25 years does not add up to the cost of "lifetime memberships many times over" - not even close.

There are more 25+ year USPA members than ever before and the number grows every year. If the board were to approve your proposal we would see an ever-increasing number of members drawing on the resources of the organization without paying for them.

Not trying to be snide, but I don't see that USPA owes a member anything just because of longevity of membership. You paid your money and you got what you paid for.

I see, so they had an opportunity to do something cool to honor long time members who have paid for lifetime memberships many times over and they decided to vote against it.

What are the numbers? How many members are there with over 25 years of continuous membership? How much money is that in membership dues? What is the effect of the loss of that on the budget?

There are about 32,000 members. If 1,000 of those are 25-year members, that's a $55,000 per year budget hit - a not insubstantial amount. And it's not a one-time expense, it's every year.

Before I take a position on such a proposal, I need to know the numbers...

Furthermore, it's kind of a welfare mentality. If I'm still jumping and still receiving the magazine (which accounts for a substantial portion of the USPA budget), then I ought to still pay to support the organization which keeps me jumping and informed. I don't look for a free ride just because I've been around a while.

Actually I was in favor of 30+ years, you young fellas with only 25 years would have to wait 5 more years.

And yes, if I would have been smart and bought a lifetime membership back when it was only $200 bucks I would have not paid that amount many times over. I guess USPA would be broke now if we all would have done that.

As it stands now after 30 years you get it at half price. By your reasoning that is wrong and we should have to pay full price. I mean come on, why should you get a discount just because you have been a dues paying member for 30 years?

Also members with 50+ years now get free membership, I suppose you must be against that too? I mean come on, why should those old farts get free membership? screw them, right?

I have my thoughts about all of this; but like a lot of things, some would agree with me & some would disagree.

I have happily paid my dues every year.

Back when I was 15 & started reading TIME magazine, I could have gotten a lifetime subscription and saved a lot of money compared to the money that I have spent over all of those years on my annual subscription(s).